Becoming a Wellbeing Walks Walk Leader

There are many reasons why people choose to become a walk leader. Leading walks can be extremely rewarding, is a great way to meet new people and build friendships in your own community and of course a fantastic, free and easy way to be healthy and be active.

Walk Leaders will be responsible for leading free, organised walks suitable for those new or returning to activity. Walks take place over easy ground, starting and finishing in a location familiar to your community. Ramblers Wellbeing Walks encourage people to not only get active but stay active, through supporting people in your community to 'join in' and ‘get up and out’.

There are exisiting groups that you may be able to join, but more often than not, you as a newly trained Walk Leader will need to create a group. Groups run best when there are multiple Walk Leaders so that the responsibility is shared.

Who can be a walk leader?

All you need is a passion for walking, be a ‘people’ person i.e. good communication skills, friendly and welcoming, and keen to lead and support others to discover the wonders of walking.

No previous experience is needed as full training and ongoing support will be provided. So whether you’re an existing volunteer looking to develop new skills, work with a community group or organisation or simply love walking, we want to hear from you!

Why become a walk leader?

There are many reasons why and here’s just a few;

Opportunity to develop your own Ramblers Wellbeing Walk group
Lead a social, healthy and welcoming activity.
Meet new people and develop new skills
Get to know your local area better and discover those hidden gems on your doorstep

Role of a Walk Leader and the support you receive

A Walk Leader is asked to:

Deliver at least one guided walk per month (hopefully more!).
Establish and begin leading walks within 3 months of attending the training.
Promote your walks locally (Active Cumbria can help with this)
Keep a risk assessment of your planned routes and review as required.
Take responsibility for ensuring that the necessary paperwork is maintained, up to date and forwarded to the relevant organisation (either Active Cumbria or Ramblers Wellbeing Walks)
Maintain a record of the number of walks delivered and the number of attendees
Share good news stories, photos and videos of your walks with Active Cumbria.

In return you will receive:

Walk Leader training both on-line elearning and delivered by Active Cumbria and accredited through the Ramblers Wellbeing Walks programme which includes Public Liability Insurance.
Access to the national Ramblers Wellbeing Walks scheme resources section of the website.
Marketing and communication resources such as poster templates, volunteer recruitment posters, social media guidance, images, and logos.
Follow on support and mentoring sessions inc support to help you promote your walks
A range of support equipment including backpack, first aid kit, clipboard and New Balance sportswear
Regular updates from the Scheme Coordinator

Register your interest to become a Wellbeing Walks Walk Leader

Name *

Home Address or Organisation address (if applying on behalf of an organisation)

Address

Email address *

Phone Number

Please tell us a bit about you and why you are registering your interest.

Please tell us why you are interested in becoming a walk leader and identify if you are:
a. expressing an interest as part of an existing Ramblers Wellbeing Walk or other walking group.
b. expressing an interest on behalf of an organisation.
c. expressing an interest because you have a personal interest at this stage.

Data Sharing Agreement

Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Cumbria is an accredited Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Local Partner. All partners across England are supported by a national team.

The partnership in Cumbria is managed by Active Cumbria. Nationally Ramblers Wellbeing Walks is administered by the Ramblers.

We will also be required to pass your details on to the national Ramblers Wellbeing Walks team.

Do you agree to this information sharing and further communication?

I agree *

Yes

Interested in becoming a Wellbeing Walks Walk Leader? Please contact

Aileen Grant, Development Officer and Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Cumbria Co-ordinator

M: 07825 823443

aileen.grant@cumberland.gov.uk

Meet the Wellbeing Walks Walk Leaders

Sue Hurrell; "I enjoy being a walk leader, from a personal note its lovely to get away from my desk into the fresh air and nature and good for my own wellbeing. Working for Copeland Wellness Service I understand the benefits of walking encompassing green and blue prescribing, health benefits and social interactions. It is a great resource to offer our patients and the wider community. Our regular walks have become a social event for some who are maybe isolated, many of our regulars have made friends and often go for a coffee or lunch following a walk and some walkers are a wealth of local knowledge. Seeing the changing seasons and the wonder of nature is a privilege and a source of conversation with our walkers especially naming and photographing landmarks, wildlife, plants and flowers we see along the way. Some of our walkers have visibly improved their fitness and stamina over the weeks which is also great to see."

Christine Slater, Maryport " I first joined the Ramblers in Scotland more than 25 years ago, when I found myself living alone and wanted to make new friends. I loved it so much that I wanted to give something back to the group and became a leader of easy walks. Then I went to live and work in Austria, and gave up leading, but not walking. When I retired, I wanted to get involved in walking for health, but did not know how to begin, until I saw an advert for walk leaders for Ramblers Wellbeing programme, so jumped at the opportunity to get involved."